Daddy -- Odds and Ends

I’ve been scanning all of Mama’s pictures lately. It’s been fun and interesting; and many of them stir little memories; so maybe I’ll share a few.

In the summer of 1948, before Daddy married my mother, he made a trip to Canada. I’m not sure exactly what he and his brother, Clarence, are doing here, but this picture proves he could be as goofy as anyone given the right circumstances. Edith, you were there, weren’t you? What was the idea?

Daddy and Mama went to the Grand Canyon country for their honeymoon in October 1948, and he evidently took his gun along.  Daddy enjoyed shooting. He bought a little double barreled derringer for us girls and taught us how to shoot. Before letting us shoot the pistol, he brought home an expensive water pistol and  made us target practice with it. When he felt we were good enough, he let us practice shooting the real gun. Of course, we had to learn to clean it and take care of it too. We didn’t turn into any Annie Oakleys, but Robyn still has the pistol.

Daddy’s binoculars in their brown leather case were a fixture around our house.  We’d get them out often to look at a bird — or maybe the neighbors — and Daddy always  took them when we went on trips. He’s using them here in 1948 in the Grand Canyon.

I don’t know of anyone who had a longer tongue than Daddy. It had a big wart on the end that was mesmerizing to watch when he talked. He loved to make the babies laugh by sticking his tongue out at them. That’s what he’s doing here with Jo in 1950 when she was five weeks old.

Daddy’s missing front teeth were another sure-fire way to amuse the children. He wasn’t worried about letting people see him without them — no vanity there. He didn’t take them out all the time, but saved the show for special occasions such as getting his picture taken with me when I lost my two front teeth.  How did he lose those teeth? I realized I didn’t know, so I asked Jo. Long pause. “I don’t know!” she said. So then I asked Robyn, who usually remembers these things. Another long pause and then “I don’t know!” Edith, Gary, help us out! How did Daddy lose his teeth???

I have no memories connected with these last two photos. I just like them.  But I bet Edith and Gary have  a memory or two. The first was taken summer 1948, Gary Scott, Ruth Pearson (my mother), George Scott (Daddy), Edith Scott. The second shows Gary, Jo Ellen, Robyn and Daddy at 28 D Street, April 1953. Mama’s notation says, “Gary was growing a beard and was very proud of it.”